Black deathly energy and pitch-black demonic contamination energy converged above the Primordial Wilderness like two enormous umbrellas that blotted out the heavens, shrouding the sun, moon, and stars. The Netherworld Ghost Lord's figure grew clearer by the moment. He wore black bone armor, with countless shadows of vengeful souls circling him. The Laws of Death solidified into black threads, leaving traces of decay wherever they passed. Meanwhile, Demon Ancestor Luohu took the opportunity to regulate his breathing. His Demonic Contamination Power rapidly healed his wounds, and a sinister light flickered in his eyes. Together with the Netherworld Ghost Lord, he formed a pincer attack that trapped Xuan Fu and the others firmly in the center.
"Xuan Fu, I might not be your match in a one-on-one fight, but with the Netherworld Ghost Lord's help, you can't escape even if you sprout wings!" Demon Ancestor Luohu's voice carried a crazed laugh. His Demonic Contamination Power surged once more, intertwining with the Netherworld Ghost Lord's deathly energy to form a massive black net that descended toward everyone.
The Netherworld Ghost Lord wasted no words. With a wave of his bone claw, countless ghost spears formed from vengeful souls shot toward Xuan Fu. Every spear contained the profound meaning of death known as "Soul and Spirit Scattered." "Your Talisman Path can purify demonic contamination, but it may not be able to withstand death. Today, I'll make you the first wisp of sacrificial offering for my reincarnation."
Golden five-colored talisman light surged around Xuan Fu. He pushed the power of Myriad Talismans Return to One to its limit, raised his hand, and laid down a massive talisman array—Myriad Talismans Guardian Array. Countless runes danced and alternated between life and death within the array. The powers of yin and yang, hardness and softness, formed a cycle that firmly blocked the attacks of the ghost spears and black net. "If you want to kill me, we'll see whether you have the ability!"
Donghua, Daoist Yang Mei, and the others also activated their Origin Power and poured it into the talisman array. Wood Spirit Vines wrapped around the black net, Space Rifts sliced through the ghost spears, the spiritual radiance of Jade Void Palace purified the deathly energy, and the Three Clans' Origin Power reinforced the array's foundation. Although they faced two taboo existences, none of them showed the slightest retreat. Their eyes shone with determination to protect the Primordial Wilderness.
Xuan Fu knew that prolonged defense would inevitably lead to defeat. Both taboo existences had reached the peak of Sainthood. Their combined pressure nearly crushed the laws of heaven and earth in the Primordial Wilderness. To win, he had to find their weakness. His Spiritual Sense raced as it swept over the cores of their auras. Demon Ancestor Luohu's Demonic Contamination Power was powerful but overly violent and difficult to sustain. The Netherworld Ghost Lord's Laws of Death were strange, but they repelled the Demonic Contamination Power. Although the two appeared to be working together, their paths were fundamentally different and could not harmonize perfectly.
The key to breaking this deadlock is to drive a wedge between them! Xuan Fu's heart stirred. He suddenly activated the power of Myriad Talismans Return to One, condensing a Demonic Contamination Nirvana Talisman and hurling it toward the Netherworld Ghost Lord. The talisman contained dense demonic contamination and Annihilation Power. It appeared to be attacking the Netherworld Ghost Lord, but it deliberately avoided his core, brushing past his bone armor before shooting toward Demon Ancestor Luohu.
"Netherworld Ghost Lord, watch out!" Demon Ancestor Luohu instinctively activated his Demonic Contamination Power to block it, but he never expected the talisman to explode halfway there. The Demonic Contamination Power collided with the Netherworld Ghost Lord's deathly energy, erupting into a massive Energy Shockwave. The two forces already repelled each other, and this collision triggered an even more violent backlash. Demon Ancestor Luohu was shaken back repeatedly, while a crack appeared in the Netherworld Ghost Lord's bone armor.
"Demon Ancestor, how dare you ambush me?!" The Netherworld Ghost Lord glared furiously at Demon Ancestor Luohu. The Laws of Death surged instantly, clearly believing that Demon Ancestor Luohu had done it deliberately.
Demon Ancestor Luohu was both shocked and enraged. "Don't listen to this ant's provocation! His talisman is responsible!"
"Whether it's provocation or not, we'll know after one test!" Xuan Fu seized the opening and condensed another talisman. This time, it was a Death Purification Talisman, which shot toward Demon Ancestor Luohu. The talisman contained the power of death and purification. It likewise skimmed past Demon Ancestor Luohu, and the deathly energy from its explosion spread toward the Netherworld Ghost Lord.
Seeing this, the Netherworld Ghost Lord became even more certain that Demon Ancestor Luohu had tried to ambush him. With a furious roar, his bone claw, carrying the Laws of Death, grabbed toward Demon Ancestor Luohu. "Since you've shown me no mercy, don't blame me for returning the favor! It's enough for me alone to rule this Primordial Wilderness!"
"Madman!" Demon Ancestor Luohu was forced to retaliate. The Demonic Contamination Power collided with the Laws of Death, and the two taboo existences instantly erupted into internal strife. The black net and ghost spears changed direction. Instead of attacking the talisman array, they poured toward each other. Demonic flames burned the vengeful souls, while black threads of death corroded the demonic body. The two fought fiercely, and their pincer attack collapsed in an instant.
Xuan Fu and the others were overjoyed at the sight. "Now! Attack together and kill one of them first!" Xuan Fu shouted. The power of Myriad Talismans Return to One surged, condensing into a massive golden five-colored talisman blade that cleaved toward Demon Ancestor Luohu. He knew that Demon Ancestor Luohu's Demonic Contamination Power posed a greater threat to the Primordial Wilderness. Moreover, Luohu had just suffered a heavy injury, making him the ideal target.
Daoist Yang Mei, Donghua, and the others also unleashed their strongest attacks. Spatial blades tore through Demon Ancestor Luohu's defenses, Wood Spirit Vines wrapped around his limbs, the spiritual radiance of Jade Void Palace purified his origin, and the Three Clans' Origin Power bombarded his core. Countless attacks poured toward Demon Ancestor Luohu like a tide, completely engulfing him.
"No—! Netherworld Ghost Lord, what of our agreement to join forces?!" Demon Ancestor Luohu let out a despairing roar and tried to reconcile with the Netherworld Ghost Lord, but the latter's Laws of Death bound him tightly, leaving him unable to escape. His Demonic Contamination Power rapidly dissipated beneath everyone's attacks, and his body began to disintegrate inch by inch.
Xuan Fu did not hesitate. The massive talisman blade descended and pierced straight through Demon Ancestor Luohu's core. "Demon Ancestor Luohu, your era is over!"
The power of Myriad Talismans Return to One poured into Demon Ancestor Luohu's core, rapidly purifying his demonic contamination origin. Demon Ancestor Luohu let out a shrill wail. His body completely disintegrated into wisps of black demonic contamination energy, which the talisman array thoroughly purified. Only a Demonic Contamination Origin Pearl remained, and Xuan Fu casually collected it.
After killing Demon Ancestor Luohu, everyone immediately turned their attacks toward the Netherworld Ghost Lord. Without Demon Ancestor Luohu restraining them, the Netherworld Ghost Lord's pressure increased sharply. His Laws of Death rapidly weakened beneath the purification of Myriad Talismans Return to One, and more and more cracks spread across his bone armor.
"Ants, even if I fall, I'll drag you down with me!" A trace of madness flashed through the Netherworld Ghost Lord's eyes. He suddenly burned his origin, causing the Laws of Death to surge to their limit. Countless vengeful souls poured out of the Netherworld, forming a massive storm of death that swept toward everyone. Wherever the storm passed, the laws of heaven and earth wailed, as though they were about to be utterly destroyed.
Xuan Fu's expression changed. He knew that the Netherworld Ghost Lord wanted to detonate his origin and destroy the Primordial Wilderness. Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed the power of Myriad Talismans Return to One to its limit. At the same time, he took out the Innate Taiji Diagram Fragment and fused it into the talisman array. "Myriad Talismans Return to One, yin and yang in balance—suppress!"
Golden five-colored talisman light intertwined with black-and-white yin-yang light, forming an even more colossal talisman array that firmly trapped the storm of death. Within the array, countless runes danced, purifying the deathly energy inside the storm while continuously compressing its power. The Netherworld Ghost Lord let out a despairing roar. Under the array's suppression, the storm of death grew smaller and smaller before finally being completely purified. Only a wisp of the Netherworld Ghost Lord's remnant soul remained, sealed by Xuan Fu inside the Origin Pearl.
Having dealt with the two taboo existences, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, victory showing on their faces. The sky over the Primordial Wilderness gradually cleared. The demonic contamination and Power of Death slowly dispersed, sunlight once again shone over the earth, vegetation began to recover, and the living beings cheered in celebration of this hard-won victory.
Xuan Fu looked at the Primordial Wilderness below as it regained its vitality, but he felt no relief at all. He could sense that the disturbance from the Source of Myriad Talismans deep within the chaos was growing stronger. That vast talisman-path origin was rapidly approaching, and an even more ancient and terrifying aura was coming with it. This aura was even denser than the pressure of Pangu splitting the heavens. It carried the ultimate rhythm of "the origin of the Talisman Path, all things returning to talismans," causing even his path of Myriad Talismans Return to One to tremble involuntarily.
"This aura is..." Daoist Yang Mei's expression became exceptionally solemn. "It's the Talisman Path Progenitor! According to legend, the Talisman Path originated from the first rune formed when Chaos Beginning began, known as the 'Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor.' He is an existence even older than Pangu, sleeping in the deepest part of the Source of Myriad Talismans. I never thought he would actually be awakened!"
Xuan Fu was startled. He had never expected that such an ancient existence would still be sleeping in the depths of the Source of Myriad Talismans. The other party's aura filled him with profound awe, yet also made him faintly uneasy. Was the awakening of the Talisman Path Progenitor a blessing or a disaster?
At that moment, at the Boundary of Chaos and Primordial, a massive golden talismanic shadow slowly emerged. The shadow stood ten thousand zhang tall, woven from countless Origin Runes. Its features could not be seen, yet it radiated the terrifying pressure of "the ancestor of myriad talismans, the source of the Great Dao." It was none other than the Talisman Path Progenitor, the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor!
"Xuan Fu, my successor, the path of Myriad Talismans Return to One has been completed. Return with me to the Source of Myriad Talismans, inherit the Ultimate Talisman Path mysteries, and rule over Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness together!" The Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor's voice boomed like the Great Dao, spreading throughout Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness with a powerful summons.
Xuan Fu's path of Myriad Talismans Return to One stirred wildly. His talisman body radiated intense resonance and yearned to fly toward the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor. He could sense that the other party bore no malice, and the temptation of inheriting the Ultimate Talisman Path mysteries was nearly irresistible. But he also knew that once he followed the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor back to the Source of Myriad Talismans, he might never be able to return to the Primordial Wilderness or protect this land he had sworn to defend to the death.
Donghua, Daoist Yang Mei, and the others looked at Xuan Fu with reluctance and concern in their eyes, yet none tried to stop him. They knew this was Xuan Fu's destiny and the ultimate opportunity he had received as the successor of the Talisman Path.
Xuan Fu's gaze swept over the Primordial Wilderness below and the companions who had fought beside him. A trace of hesitation and resolve flashed in his eyes. He remembered the years he had struggled to survive in Chaos, the countless hardships he had endured in the Primordial Wilderness, and his responsibility to protect it.
"Senior Symbol Ancestor, thank you for your favor." Xuan Fu cupped his hands toward the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor. "But the Primordial Wilderness is my home. There are living beings here whom I wish to protect, and I cannot abandon them. If I am to inherit the Ultimate Talisman Path mysteries, I hope to do so here in the Primordial Wilderness. If we are to rule over Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness together, I hope to do so as the guardian of the Primordial Wilderness, fighting beside you!"
The Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor's talismanic shadow fell silent for a moment before letting out a pleased laugh. "Good! You truly are my successor—responsible and courageous! Since that is your wish, I shall move the Source of Myriad Talismans to the Primordial Wilderness and help you perfect the Talisman Path while protecting this world!"
As his voice fell, the Source of Myriad Talismans deep within Chaos began to move slowly toward the Primordial Wilderness. The Talisman Tower radiated dazzling golden talisman light, illuminating all of Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. The origin of the Talisman Path surged forth like a tide, nourishing the laws of heaven and earth in the Primordial Wilderness, making its spiritual energy denser and its vitality more flourishing.
Xuan Fu watched the approaching Source of Myriad Talismans, his heart filled with excitement and anticipation. He knew that with its arrival, his Talisman Path would reach a new height, and the Primordial Wilderness would usher in a new chapter. Yet he also vaguely sensed that the awakening of the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor and the relocation of the Source of Myriad Talismans would inevitably trigger drastic changes in the laws of heaven and earth throughout Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. It might attract even more ancient existences. Perhaps a new storm was already brewing in silence.
Just as the Source of Myriad Talismans was about to arrive above the Primordial Wilderness, Xuan Fu's Spiritual Sense suddenly caught an extremely faint yet exceptionally strange aura from the deepest reaches of Chaos. This aura belonged neither to the Chaos Fiends nor to any known taboo existence. It carried the ultimate rhythm of "creating existence from nothing, all things returning to void." It repelled the origin of the Talisman Path possessed by the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor, yet faintly formed a balance with it.
Xuan Fu's expression instantly grew solemn. He could sense that the master of this aura might be even more powerful than the Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor. Moreover, the other party's target seemed to be the relocated Source of Myriad Talismans—and him, the successor of the Talisman Path.
The Primordial Chaos Talisman Ancestor had clearly sensed the aura as well. The light of his talismanic shadow tightened slightly, and his tone became solemn. "I never thought even the 'Lord of Void' would be awakened. It seems the Ultimate Showdown between Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness has only just begun..."
Xuan Fu tightened his grip around the Origin Pearl. A trace of resolve flashed through his eyes. He knew that no matter how powerful the enemies he faced in the future became, and no matter how difficult the trials ahead were, he would hold fast to his convictions. With the path of Myriad Talismans Return to One, he would protect the Primordial Wilderness and everything he cherished.
A showdown concerning the ultimate fate of Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness was about to open a new prelude amid the radiance of the Source of Myriad Talismans.
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